Title 43 — Public LandsRelease 119-73not60

§883 Collection of Costs of Surveying, Etc.; Reimbursement of Purchaser

Title 43 › Chapter 21— GRANTS IN AID OF RAILROADS AND WAGON ROADS › § 883

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

If a railroad that is supposed to pay the costs for surveying, choosing, or transferring lands does not pay within thirty days after the Secretary of the Interior asks for the money, the Secretary must tell the Attorney General. The Attorney General will immediately start legal action to collect the unpaid costs. If money is collected from the railroad for those surveying, selecting, and conveying costs for land that was purchased under section 882, the Secretary of the Interior must use that money to repay the buyer (or the buyer’s heirs or people who get the buyer’s rights) the exact amount they paid for those costs.

Full Legal Text

Title 43, §883

Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

If any railroad corporation required by law to pay the costs of surveying, selecting, or conveying any lands granted to such company or for its use and benefit by Act of Congress shall for thirty days neglect or refuse to pay any such costs after demand for payment thereof by the Secretary of the Interior, he shall notify the Attorney General, who shall at once commence proceedings to collect the same. But when any sum shall be collected of such railroad company as costs of surveying, selecting, and conveying any tract of land which shall have been purchased under the provisions of section 882 of this title, the Secretary of the Interior shall out of such collections reimburse said purchaser, his heirs or assigns, the amount of money paid by him as the costs of such surveying, selecting, and conveying.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

43 U.S.C. § 883

Title 43 — Public Lands

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60